Chapter 74: Let Them Kneel First!
"What a sharp-tongued little girl!"
No sooner had Qin Luoli finished speaking than a voice rose from the Chen Family’s side.
The man was over fifty and dressed in a gray long robe. He had been silent until now, keeping a very low profile even when the Old Madam appeared.
Standing up, he spoke slowly. "Perhaps Patriarch Chen’s words were inappropriate, but his good intentions are clear to all. He was merely teaching you juniors some principles on how to conduct yourselves. How did that become an insult to the Qin Family?"
As soon as he spoke, the members of the Chen Family nodded, all agreeing with his view. This man was the Chen Family’s butler. Having served for many years, he was considered practically an elder, and his words naturally carried weight.
Chen Sien nodded as well. "Uncle An is right. The Chen and Qin families are related by marriage. My father, as Patriarch Chen, is an elder to Lin Mu and Qin Luoli. It’s only natural for him to offer a little correction. But for Lin Mu to be so disrespectful and heap insults on my father... that’s truly out of line."
"Utter nonsense!"
The Old Madam, however, scoffed at their words and cursed bluntly.
"Old Madam, you..." Chen Sien’s face flushed, his eyes blazing with fury.
The Old Madam sneered. "What? You disagree again? Since Chen Ruoping is using his seniority to lecture the younger generation, does that mean I can lecture you? Should I then go to the Chen Family and demand an explanation?"
Lin Mu glanced at the Old Madam, his expression shifting. Her character is quite likable. She despises evil, and her temperament is refreshingly straightforward. She says whatever is on her mind. It seems she must have been a renowned heroine in her youth. No wonder she was able to lead the Qin Family to where it is today.
"I wouldn’t dare."
Chen Sien realized he had misspoken. He hadn’t expected the Old Madam to catch his slip of the tongue and retaliate so swiftly. Given her status, the Chen Family truly had no one who could match her. It was a loss they would have to swallow.
"Chen Ruoping lacks self-cultivation and is petty-minded. He spits blood and gets hospitalized just from being contradicted a few times. Yet your Chen Family is so disgraceful that you have the audacity to come to my Qin Family’s door demanding an explanation? Who gave you the courage?"
The Old Madam’s expression was cold, her voice strong and resolute, not at all like a centenarian’s. In that moment, everyone felt a sharp aura radiating from her, one forged in the clash of spears and the glint of swords. This was an elder with a story to tell.
The Qin Family members bowed their heads, not daring to speak.
Chen Sien was drenched in a cold sweat, his face pale. Even Uncle An, the Chen Family’s butler, furrowed his brow and remained silent.
"Back when I was in charge of the Qin Family, Chen Ruoping was nothing more than a babe who hadn’t even been weaned. Now he dares to bully his juniors just because he’s older? Isn’t he ashamed?" the Old Madam said coolly. "Go back and tell Chen Ruoping that if he wants an explanation, he can come to the Qin Family himself after he recovers. I can give him one."
"We’ll see if he dares to take it!"
Her final words were uttered with overwhelming dominance and absolute confidence. This was a testament to her self-assurance and the underlying power of the Qin Family. The members of the Qin Family present felt a surge of excitement.
Lin Mu’s mouth was slightly agape. In her youth, the Old Madam must have been not just a heroine, but a tough-as-nails woman as well. Still, it didn’t create the slightest dislike in him; on the contrary, he found it quite endearing. A faint smile touched his lips. It seems the people of the Qin Family aren’t as bad as I imagined.
"Dad, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!"
Just as the atmosphere in the hall grew strange, a cheerful voice rang out.
"Dad, are Qin Luoli and Lin Mu here? I heard they came."
A figure in red hurried into the hall. When she took in the scene, she paused, momentarily baffled.
"Dad, Uncle, you’re all here? Old Madam?"
Upon seeing the Old Madam, the newcomer quickly knelt to pay her respects. It was a strict rule of the Qin Family: upon seeing the Old Madam, one must perform a grand bow.
But when she saw Lin Mu standing beside the Old Madam, she was startled for a moment before a flash of delight crossed her eyes.
"Lin... Lin Mu, you really are here! I’ve been looking for you for so long."
The person was Qin Yan. The events at the Four Seas Hotel had left her utterly shaken. Lin Mu wasn’t just some Martial Arts Grandmaster; his medical skills were even more formidable than Master Sun’s. After extricating herself from the crowd, she had rushed to Qin Luoli’s villa, only to find him gone and his mother there instead. Since Qin Luoli had already explained the situation to Lady Su on her way over, Qin Yan had rushed straight to the Qin Family Old Residence.
And sure enough, she saw Lin Mu the moment she arrived.
Unlike the others, seeing Lin Mu standing next to the Old Madam only surprised her for an instant before it seemed perfectly natural. In her eyes, someone who could surpass Master Sun in medicine, someone even Master Sun revered, was of comparable importance to the Old Madam. In fact, if Lin Mu’s medical skills were as extraordinary as Master Sun claimed, his importance might even exceed the Old Madam’s.
"Xiao Yan, what is it?" Qin Hongshu asked, puzzled. Why was his precious daughter looking for Lin Mu the moment she arrived? They hardly ever interacted.
Qin Luoli was the most astonished. Her gaze flickered between Lin Mu and Qin Yan, her eyes full of confusion.
"It’s like this..."
Just as Qin Yan was about to speak, a Qin Family elder hurried in. He shot Lin Mu a highly unusual look before bowing to the Old Madam.
"Reporting to the Old Madam, Young Master of the Luo Family, Luo Jinping, has arrived, and he says..."
"Why are you stammering? Speak!" Qin Hongbo said with dissatisfaction.
Suppressing his astonishment, the elder said honestly, "He says he has come to bear thorns and apologize to the son-in-law."
"Son-in-law? Which son-in-law?" Qin Hongshu asked, perplexed.
The others were also confused, wondering which son-in-law he was talking about.
Qin Yan pointed at Lin Mu and said tentatively, "In our Qin Family... I think he’s the only son-in-law here, isn’t he?"
Lin Mu? Young Master of the Luo Family, Luo Jinping, came to apologize to Lin Mu?
That was utterly absurd!
"Are you sure you heard him correctly? He’s really here at the Qin Family to apologize to Lin Mu?" Qin Hongshu asked in disbelief.
The elder gave a strained smile. "I’m not entirely sure myself. You’d better go and see for yourselves."
Qin Hongshu shot Lin Mu a look and snorted. "I’d like to see what this is all about. If Lin Mu has caused trouble outside again, Old Madam, you’d better not stop me from teaching him a lesson!"
With that, Qin Hongshu turned and strode outside.
"Let’s go. We should also take a look."
The others followed him out.
The Chen Family members exchanged bewildered glances but didn’t go to see what was happening.
Soon, Qin Hongshu and the others returned. This time, however, every one of them stared at Lin Mu in utter shock, their eyes filled with amazement.
The Old Madam said coolly, "Speak. What happened outside? Why has the Luo Family come to our door as well?"
"That..."
Qin Hongshu and the others exchanged glances. Finally, Qin Hongshu clenched his teeth and reported, "Reporting to the Old Madam, Elder Master Luo and the Young Head of the Luo Clan are kneeling outside. They say they have come to beg Lin Mu’s forgiveness. They also said that if Master Lin doesn’t pardon them, they will continue to kneel indefinitely."
So, it was true?
Elder Master Luo had personally brought his grandson to beg for Lin Mu’s forgiveness?
A hint of shock flickered in the Old Madam’s eyes, but it vanished in an instant. She chuckled, "Lin Mu, what do you say?"
Everyone turned to look at Lin Mu.
Lin Mu spoke lightly, "Let them kneel for now."